Figuring out how to make the jump from one industry to another can be tougher than playing Battleships with Grampa Jack.
But if you’re particularly interested in oil and gas, there are several great roles that are perfect for making the leap.
And there’s never been a better time to get involved, with the current generation of workers retiring and state-of-the-art technology creating new vacancies.
Here’s a shortlist of highly desired roles and how you could land one of them.
Show all Oil & Gas jobs across Scotland
Mudloggers
These guys monitor and record drilling activity, collecting important data about wells. Many have a geology degree, but some have a physics, maths or engineering background.
You don’t need a postgraduate qualification but you are required to have a high level of health and fitness.
P.S. You may get knocked back if you wear odd socks to your interview –colorblindness is a definite disadvantage.
Drilling Engineers
Based on land as well as offshore and working with engineers, geologists and drilling crews, this is a highly desired role.
That might be something to do with it having a starting salary that reaches £40,000 and keeps on rising.
To land this job you’ll need to be an engineering graduate but you’ll have a better chance if you’ve done chemical, civil or mechanical engineering.
It’s often an international job so, if you’ve another language, this will put you well (sorry!) ahead of other candidates.
Petroleum Geologists
You may not be able to get blood from a stone but you can get oil.
Geologists who specialise in oil and gas help decide where to drill for the best deposits.
You can get into the industry if you did a standard geology degree at university, but it’s usually advantageous to do a more specialised Masters or postgraduate.
If you have a general science degree, there are plenty of courses you can take to gain a qualification that will make you an ideal candidate.
Subsea engineers
Wee Davey used to wear a snorkel and hard hat to school but it’s rare anyone decides at the age of 10 they want specifically to be a subsea engineer. This means you can enter this role with a general engineering degree – whether that’s mechanical, ocean or petroleum.
Subsea engineers design tools and equipment used underwater from offshore rigs, so you may find yourself travelling to remote locations.